Oak Flats

Our friends have produced three videos on mining issues that we work on. Please take a look at them and share the links. Together we can spread the word about why these proposals are bad for Arizona, bad for our communities, and bad for the environment!

The first is called Cyanide Beach and was produced by John Dougherty and show how 5 current members of the Board of Directors were involved in a mine in Sardina, Italy that not only has caused massive pollution, but left a trail of lies and broken promises.

Devil's Canyon AgaveDevil’s Canyon is located in Pinal County Arizona approximately 6 km east of the town of Superior in the Globe Ranger District of the Tonto National Forest. The area is generally rugged with deep canyons and is defined by its complex rock formations. Portions of Devil’s Canyon have stretches of large and dense riparian growth that support a high diversity of breeding birds and other wildlife.

Two foreign mining companies, Rio Tinto and BHP - Billiton, have created a
subsidiary (Resolution Copper) that is proposing to mine a copper
deposit more than 7,000 feet deep east of Superior, Arizona. As
a first step, Rio Tinto is currently shopping around a land exchange
bill S. 409 (in the Senate) and HR 2509 (in the House) that would end an executive order banning mining from Oak
Flat Campground and privatize more than 2,400 acres of public land.

Gaan Canyon Vegetation and WaterYour action is needed now to stop a compromise on the Oak Flat land exchange bill (S. 409) that is schedule to be marked up in the Senate Energy & Natural Resources Committee on December 16th along with 35 other bills.

This remarkable display of speed was brought about by a deal cut between Senator John McCain of Arizona who has been championing Rio Tinto’s special interest legislation to help him get re-elected to the Senate next year, and Energy & Natural Resources Committee Chairman Jeff Bingaman of New Mexico.

Although Senator Bingaman promised Tribal leaders in a meeting following the Bill’s hearing in June that he would consult with them before any movement of the bill, this deal was struck without input from the Tribes. In fact, bill language was only shared to a few select groups and then only at the strong insistence to see language and after a promise was extracted not to share the language widely.

What we do know about this deal is troubling.

Please contact members of the Senate Energy & Natural Resources Committee and ask them to oppose any consideration of this amendment.

In the House, please contact Representative Ann Kirkpatrick and remind her why HR 2509 is a bad idea. Also contact House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and tell her why HR 2509 is special interest legislation that gives a huge subsidy to foreign mining companies that already make billions of dollars in profits every year.

In the Senate, please contact Senator McCain and Senator Bingaman and tell them "no backroom deals." Senator McCain has bullied Senator Bingaman to the point that he is willing to compromise, but he needs to stick to his guns to protect the land, religious freedom, and the normal process we use to permit mines.